.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Pierre Louis Berthout, known as Louis Berthout, was born in November 1754 in Plancemont, a little village in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. At the age of twelve he started his apprenticeship in the workshop of his father Pierre Berthout, counsellor and master clock-maker at Couvet. His uncle, the famous Louis Berthout, noticed his exceptional skills, and invited him to Paris to complete his training and to be initiated into precision clockmaking.
In June 1784 Louis Berthout became 'Elève Horloger Méchanicien de la Marine' with a salary of 1,000 livres per year and in 1786, he made a portable longitude watch for which he earned an honourable mention and a price of 6,000 livres from the Ministry of the Interior.
As of 1802, he became Watchmaker-Mechanic for the Navy and in July 1805, the Office of Longitute granted him the title of Watchmaker of the Observatory and Office of Longitudes.
In June 1784 Louis Berthout became 'Elève Horloger Méchanicien de la Marine' with a salary of 1,000 livres per year and in 1786, he made a portable longitude watch for which he earned an honourable mention and a price of 6,000 livres from the Ministry of the Interior.
As of 1802, he became Watchmaker-Mechanic for the Navy and in July 1805, the Office of Longitute granted him the title of Watchmaker of the Observatory and Office of Longitudes.